Shadow
by JamieCorrs
Summary: AU. "That's Mitchum Huntzberger, knowing that man can change your life." Her grandfather voice boomed in her head. Looking back, it never seizes to amaze her how insightful Richard Gilmore was.
1. Chapter 1

AU. It's been swimming in my head lately. It's just writing itself.

* * *

Part 1

"That's Mitchum Huntzberger, knowing that man can change your life." Her grandfather voice boomed in her head.

When he first pointed out the pressed dressed blond man across the room in one of the many social events during her early college days, she rolled her eyes on him in a true Lorelai Gilmore fashion and 'puff'ed.

She heard of Mitchum Huntzberger, media mogul. Doyle, her editor at the Yale Daily Mail pees his pants at the mention of his name. She can't stand bullies. And she doesn't want privilege.

Looking back, it never seizes to amaze her how insightful Richard Gilmore was.

* * *

A few years later, on her grandparent's New year's party she is properly introduced.

She been back in Connecticut trying to figure out her next move. Her mother proudly tells everyone that she's been 'job hopping'. But the truth is that between replacing other journalists on maternity leave in Colorado and a temporary fact-checker stunt in New York, she was so far from her five-year plan and basically lost.

Sure, there was some successes. A few non-important columns in an esoteric life-style magazine, which her mother framed in the Inn's , she didn't remember the journalism world this tough before she hit the Campaign trail.

The scotch in her grandfather tumbler slashed while he inquired on her latest freelance pitches and her quest to peruse her foreign correspondent dream. She didn't have the heart to tell her mother they were all rejected, and that chasing a scoop day to day and living out of a suitcase wasn't all that glamorous as she imagined.

But she sensed the man she debated books with somehow knew without her saying.

"Connections never hurt anyone, Rory." He said softly at Mitchum Hunztberger's back while the blonde man's business card brunt in her hand.

After the holidays she accepted the job.

Her mother was upset.

Her grandmother gloated.

Her grandfather gifted her with a bracelet with a compass charm. And a wink.

* * *

Shadowing Mitchum Hunztberger was insightful.

Rory Gilmore had a front seat to the one-man show of Mitchum Hunzberger. Observing this man's sharp mind, his energy, his killer instincts for stories and business deals were fascinating.

"Keep up, Rory" was his signature phrase for her first three months on the job. He was condescending and it infuriate her. But she sucked it up, it was an opportunity.

The man had endless passion for journalism. As time progressed, she realizes he's her mentor.

"Don't be naive, it's money and ego" he waves her off. She knows that under that tough man exterior, he'd touched.

"No mum, I'm not sleeping with him. Don't be crass."

But when she's not shadow-jetting with Mitchum Hunzberger, she spends most of her time in London, in the European HPG headquarters. Only adding to her mother dismay.

She coordinates his schedule, fills him in this morning's headlines, office gossip, orders his lunch (he hated peas), pick up his dry cleaning and screens his calls ("If it's Logan put him through". She didn't know who Logan was but he never called).

In return, he allows her to sit in on meeting with senior editors, investors and clients all over the world. He later goes over the play by play of key meeting with her.  
She goes over the numbers and prep him.  
He asks her opinion on employees.

They talk story angles. He teaches her to fish the subtext, analyze the body language. See through what people's true intentions are.  
"Pay attention to what they mean and don't say." he tips her  
At one time, he fatherly warns her off 'not worth your time of day' men.  
She suspects he intimidate others.

Then one day, he starts to sending her to meeting with the tech department. "Honestly, the talk gibberish to me." He admitted over lunch.

After a year on the job she's the fly on the wall in her first board meetings.

* * *

Six months later, at one of many industry events, the '60 minutes' executive producer asks Mitchum to participate in a documentary on the changing journalism world.

The blonde man contemplates and turns to her.

"Mmm… Rory what do you think?"

Rory nearly chocks on her Martini. The producer looks as equally surprised of the famous industry tough guy consulting a college graduate.

She silently curses herself for losing composure. 'Always be cool' Mitchum words echo in her mind. "I… I think it's a terrific idea" she semi-shuttered.

"I agree…" Mitchum concludes, "On one condition. Have Rory do it."

* * *

She's working for Huntzberger Media for two years when she meets her grandfather for lunch one day at the Hartford golf club. She has fond memories of this place her grandfather and golf. God knows she's awful at it.

Mitchum's daughter had another child so she has a few days off. It's a girl, she knows because she picked out the gift.

"He's grooming you." Her grandfather holds his chin deep in thoughts.

Rory laughs and waves him off, "funny grandpa. HPG is a family company." Although Mitchum is sometimes fatherly towards her, she is no family.

She is too aware how Mitchum-y the gesture was. It scares her a little.

"What about grad-school? You were thinking about it." She's grateful for the change of subject.

* * *

Her mother videoed 60 minutes.

Her grandfather made sure the three of them sat down to live watch it. On their latest cross-Atlantic phone call that he told her they were proud.

Her mother asks if this means she's 'done playing a servant and returning to real journalism?'

"What I do everyday is making journalism happen." She tells her mother. She can hear Mitchum talking from her throat. It makes her uneasy.

But she also likes her current job. She likes being the fly on the wall, the travelling, the benefits, the stability, she loves London. She even likes Mitchum.

"Rory, can we be honest here for a moment?" Mitchum sits at the edge of this desk and glance at her sideways. The 60-minute piece is playing in the background.

"Sure," she says uncertain. His opinion matters. Maybe it matters too much.

"That is not journalism." He points at the screen in his office.

Rory's eyes widen "What do you mean?"

"It's a great piece, but you're not a journalist," He sighs, run a hand through his hair and rounds his desk, effectively ignoring her hurt face.

"You think I don't have it." Rory bite her lips and press her hand together in her lap. Making the piece was fun. She liked the feeling of the camera capturing her perspective. She enjoyed framing the storyline.

"I don't." He agrees softly, "You're not interested in current affairs. You aren't passionate about it. You don't need me to tell you that. You already know."

She looks like he shuttered her childhood dream with a 9-ton beam with those two words. His heart contracts tightly.

She blinks fast, holding back the tears. "Am I fired?" her voice is watery.

"No." He says, surprise laced in his voice. "You're very much still hired."

Relief flatter on her face and she wipes defiant tear.

"Rory," Mitchum looks pensive as he picks up a brochure from his desk and hand it to her. "I think you should apply. It's a good career move."

She looks down at the brochure. Speechless. Unsure of his sudden development.

MSc in Global Politics, London School of Economics.

"You're a storyteller, Rory." His eyes make sure to meet hers as clarifies, "Go learn what shapes stories. Think it over."

She says nothing. The leaflet rustle in her hand.

Mitchum picks up some papers laying on his desk discretely checking on the shocked girl, before deciding to put an end to her misery. "What's next on my schedule?"

"You have a 14:00 pm with Bill from accounting."

Rory couldn't hurry out of the room faster if she tried.

* * *

Rory always loved school. She isn't surprised how easy, how right, it feels to be back at school.

She suspects her grandfather, bless him, is somehow behind this. Every time she catches a glance at the compass on her wrist, she can't help but wonder what deal he had made with Mitchum.

Alice, the new assistant, took over her responsibilities for 'waiting on the master' as she dryly calls it.  
If you ask Alice, a sarcastic and sharp 35 years old. When Rory not in school she attends to all the 'things that will blow Mitchum fuse', and other 'important, fun things'.  
Which mostly means attending meetings and reading Market research files.

She even has time to date. His name is Gavin.

"Does he keep his accent while you two are 'you-know'?" her mother asks cheekily.

"eew mum! I'm not telling you that!"

It's the second Tuesday in February and it's rainy.

Mitchum called last night furious over mis-accurate figures on the board meeting files.

She immediately knows their 'Tuesday-is-for-studying' agreement just went just out of the window.

To be honest, Mitchum has been very odd about his particular meeting.  
For the life of her she can't figure out why. Like he is nervous.  
He also made Alice cry all week.

-  
"He acts like he's your Master" Gavin was less than impressed with the phone call.  
Her mother would have really loved him.  
"He's my boss." Rory simply shrugs. It's part of the job.

Rory likes the headquarters at 6:00am. It's like a sleeping kingdom. There's a light in Mitchum office, but that not unusual. The man has early-bird tendency.

She fires up her computer and starts on the coffee maker. She places one on her desk and carries the other into his office. The papers she needs are there anyway.

"Good morning Mr. Hunzberger." The chair turns as she speaks but its unexpected occupant is a man around her age. Blond hair, brown eyes, familiar smirk.

"That line always gives me the rush. Is its black no sugar?" He drawls. She nods dumbly.

"Great! Couldn't figure out how to work that machine." he leaves the seat and takes the cup, eyeing her up "Honor said the American shadow was cute. I didn't believe her until now."

"Excuse me, but who are you?" he's rude and she's this close to call security.

"Logan Huntzberger" He stuck out his hand, "I guess the old man doesn't talk about me much."

Subconsciously Rory knew something in her universe shifted.


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2

"Mitchum Hunzberger office, Rory speaking"

"Hey Rory," Honor cheerful voice rang through the speaker "I heard the Golden Prince is in town."

It was all clear now. Logan presence made Mitchum agitated.

His arrival upset their whole dynamic.

She knows she interrupted something important when she came in with the corrected figures. He didn't even smile when he shortly said 'thank you, Rory' after they went through them.

Logan larked on the office sofa while they worked, furiously typing on his laptop.

"Yes, they went out for lunch." She couldn't hide the hint of bitterness in her voice.

Logan sat on the board meeting, simultaneously silencing his smartphone and drawing on the file's sidelines. Then, Mitchum cancelled their usual post-board meeting analysis session and told her she could take the rest of the day to study.

Alice took the day off to 'recharge me tears supply', so she couldn't really go.

"Oh," Honor voice trailed off hesitated, "willingly?"

"Yes." Rory frowned, it was common practice for father and son to have lunch. Not that she had any expert on things you do with your father.

"Well that's new… I hope it doesn't end in a light-sword fight." Rory blinked at her Star Wars reference, "Please tell Dad I called".

Reluctantly Rory clicked on the internet browser typing: _**Logan Hunzberger**_.

* * *

Surprisingly Logan stuck around for ten days.

Annoyingly he also made a point to monopolies her desk while she was at university. Littering her work-space with mint wrappers, indulgently scribbling phone numbers with strange area-codes on her post-its.

Nigeria, Ghana, Cambodia, Mexico, Bangladesh, Buthan to name a few. Yes, she checked.

He chewed on her favorite pen.

Mitchum schedule filled out with meeting she wasn't invited to sit in or briefed on. A train of company lawyers came and went.

She and Gavin watched 'Toy Story' that week on 'best Pixar' movie night. She sympathized with Woody. Tossed aside for a brand-new toy.

Gavin said "she shouldn't take it to heart", quoting her "it's part of the job" phrase.

Rory frowned and took a sip of her coke murmuring a "you don't get it".

"HPG is a family company, or is it not?" he asked pointedly.

7pm, Friday, and Rory was still at her desk.

She was catching up on her coursework at the office to avoid rush hour traffic. She was also avoiding Gavin.

The office was quiet, Mitchum was out of the office since lunch. Alice went home two hours ago.

The elevator dinged, startling her to look up. Logan.

"I left my laptop." He pointed toward his father office. He paused his steps, "He's working you too hard, you should go home."

"I'm studying." She said curtly not tearing her eyes from the screen.

"Look," he sighed, running his hand through his hair, "I'm sorry I've chewed your pen."

Rory looked up.

"I got an earful about it from the old man," He smiled softly, "I apologies. Truce?"

He looked sincere enough. She nodded in agreement; surprised Mitchum noticed her dismay. "Truce."

"Great!" his face brightened in triumph and she was amazed how much he looked like his father only youthful. "I'm going out for drinks, wanna come?"

* * *

"Gavin and I broke up." She said to the phone.

"it just didn't work out, it's not a big deal."

"I don't understand you said everything was going so well. You were planning a super- romantic weekend? What happened?"

_Whirlwind Logan happened. _Disappearing as suddenly as he breezed in. Rory had zero intention to share that tidbit with her mother. She wasn't happy with herself for wondering of him.

She calmly poured her second cup of coffee this afternoon, using her shoulder to keep the phone pressed to her ear. "Nothing. We decided to end things, apparently we don't see eye to eye on some things…"

"Things like your job" Lorelai Gilmore stated.

Rory stayed mum. Not only her job.

"Well that not a good reason…. I don't like your job and I don't break up with you."

"Gee, thanks mom."

"Well, what can I say, I just love you more. Shame, you were super-hyped about this one."

"No mom, you were hyped about this one." Rory pointed out taking a sip of her coffee.

"Well you never knew a man until you had an exotic man!"

* * *

The annual Huntzberger Gala, Hartford. 4th of July.

It's one of the few times, she wished Mitchum would let her off the hook from mandatory attending. Her mother kept talking about outdoor BBQ and a slushy in Stars Hollow town square followed by epic fireworks display. She hated to disappoint her mother.

In this particular event it seems like her Grandmother, who was cordially invited, is set to auction her off.

She shoots a dis-satisfied glare at her grandfather and Mitchum from across the room as her grandmother parade her around. Her grandfather is too elated that he beat her boss at golf earlier today to notice her distress.

Mitchum, however, is a shrewd golfer and a sore loser with no intention to stand in Emily Gilmore's way.

"Excuse me," she grabs another flute and retreats to the foyer to appreciate the Velázquez. No one will find her here for a while. Hopefully until it's time for the fireworks.

It's her seventh glass of Champagne. Her experience (and her mother) taught her early enough in life that this is the best defense mechanism.

"Hey Shadow" she spins so quickly her heels screech on the polished floor.

"Logan."

"Honor abandoned me. I decided to see what you are up to."

"You never attend these things." She blurts, a bit dizzy from the spin and the alcohol.

"Ah, I do my best to avoid it." He tucks his hands in his pocket, slightly swaying on his ankles, "Things are different now. "

"Different how?"

He looks at her funny, like she should know.

"Well, when I'm in the states, it's kind of harder to get out of this dubious duty." He offers and waves his hand at the room to their back.

She nods shortly. Unsure why she even asked.

"Wanna get out of here?" he coax his head.

She looks undecided.

"Oh for fuck sakes, the old man doesn't care." The next thing she remembers, he expertly leads her through previously unseen corridors and opens a door to the roof top.

She's surprised to find a worn looking sofa is strategically placed there. The view is a mixed display of Hardford Mansions rooftops.

"Me and Colin had to find somewhere to smoke. My mother still looking for that couch. So shhh." He shrugs off her surprise.

Rory rolls her eyes. Like she knows who Colin is.

"How come I never saw you at Yale?" He he sits down easily recovering a shiny flask from his jacket.

"What?" she wonders what brought this line of questioning.

"My father tells me we went to Yale at the same time. I never met you before this February."

He offers her the flask. She takes a large gulp of the hard liqueur. She hates whiskey.

"We didn't run in the same circles. I was motivated and made a point to stay away from people like you."

He chuckles "people like me?"

"Privileged kids with trust funds." She states simply.

"Yet here you are, riding your family contacts, working for my father in his big media empire." He pointed, further slumping into the couch. "I'm sure Richard has a trust fund in your name larking somewhere".

"It's called capitalizing opportunities." She found herself defensively quoting his father. Pushing the flask back in his hand.

Logan laughs, "You really are his shadow. How long you've been working for my father?"

"Nearly 3 years."

Logan let out a low impressed whistle. She takes a sit on the edge couch.

"What's the deal with you and your dad?" Rory suddenly feels brave. "Honor called you Luke Skywalk and Darth Vader."

Logan chuckled amused, "Using these exact words?"

"Well no…"

"Obviously. Honor never watched any Star Wars movies…" He ponders and shrugs, "You're funny. I guess, if the shoe fits."

Silence took over. Logan took another swing of the flask, "Did you sleep with him?"

Rory looked at him applauded.

"My father cheats, Rory. Don't be naïve."

"No. NO. He's like the father I never had."

"Well there's your answer." His voice is bitter and edgy, swirling the liquid around. "I think he wishes I was more like you, Shadow."

"What else did your father tell you?"

"To stay away from you." He is dead serious but she recognizes a glint in his eyes.

She feels herself blush.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you all for the positive reviews. I apologies or spelling, grammar and formatting. Hopefully its better this time. **

* * *

**Part 3**

"Mitchum Hunzberger Office, Rory speaking."

"Hi, It's Logan." He says breathily on the other side. She pauses. Why didn't the call go through Alice?

Since their one on one on the roof top she avoided him at all costs. In practice it wasn't that hard. She accompanied Mitchum to multiple business acquisition trips. Logan himself didn't made a habit of being concerned with anything to do with HPG.

Not thinking about him and his words was harder. No Ben, Ethan, Brandon or Gabe, to mention few, helped.

"Hi, I'll put you through. Just a second."

"Actually, I called you."

"Oh." _Shit, shit, shit_. Rory felt her heart beat quicken and her hands clammy. She glanced at Alice who was eyeing her suspiciously.

"Yeah I need a favor. What do you know of 'Planète'?'"

"Not much." She knows it's some environmental initiative. She admits to herself she finds it far fetch he's involved with it something like that.

"Never mind. Google it." His business voice comes through, "Here's the situation. I'm supposed to meet potential sponsors in London at 9pm. My connection from Ethiopia is delayed. O'dette, is double booked with another investor in Italy so she can't make it. I need you to entertain them until I get there."

"I don't work for you."

"That why it's called a favor. Please Shadow" He pleaded, "You're my only option."

"Why me?"

"We both learnt from the best." He says quickly, closely followed by a rushed "Okay?"

"Okay." She can't believe she hears herself saying.

"You are god sent!" she can't help but smile at his happiness. "Google it. Don't worry, they'll love you. Wear your blue dress. I'll get there as soon as I can."

The call clicks off quickly. Rory feels tricked.

* * *

A few days later, she sits in the leather-clad private plane to Hong Kong reviewing the files for the upcoming acquisition. Even though she read it twice already, she likes to be extra sure on the details.

Mitchum sits opposite to her with the paper. She knows he's not reading. He keeps glancing at her and the pages doesn't shuffle in his regular reading speed.

Ever since Logan last breezed in London Alice said he was in a 'exceptionally foul mood'.

The office gossip said something about a big blow out. Alice only said that 'Its better if you don't know'.

"What?" she finally bit.

Mitchum folders the paper. "That's new" he points at the ink on her wrist. "New haircut too?"

She unconsciously rubs the very small tattoo on her pulse point. "Yes."  
"What does it mean?"  
"It's a compass."  
"Same on your bracelet." He concludes intrigued. "Did you lose a bet?"

"No. I just felt like it." That was only a partial lie.

"Come on Shadow, don't be chicken" his brown eye twinkled daring her.

She hesitated. He already manipulated her twice tonight. Once with that dinner, second with the number of celebratory drinks he kept pushing her way.

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

"You have one? where?"

"Logan has one on these things on his ankle. A rocket, I think." She nods distractedly as Mitchum's voice interrupts her thoughts.

She realizes this is the first time Mitchum ever addressed Logan directly. The atmosphere between them thicken.

"Rory," her head snap to focus on his serious face, "Should I be worried about Logan?"  
"I don't follow."  
"Logan has a certain reputation…" he explains, his eyes concerned "I wouldn't want…"

"No" she shakes her head firmly, effectively ending the conversation and returning to her files.

* * *

"What about Claire?" Finn asked, "Did you call her?"

Logan shook his head. He was sitting in his regular neighbor pub. With his regular crowd. At their regular table.

He never saw this coming, but once Finn coupled, he become one of these annoying friends who constantly tries to make you double date. Claire was his girlfriend's best friend. And single. Logan wasn't particularly interested to get crucified when he'd love her and leave her. Neither did Collin.

"Why, what's wrong with her?" Finn exclaimed in disbelieve. "I don't get it, what happened to the 'ready-for-anything Logan'? You used to be fun, man."

Collin snickered beside him.

"You're not any better." Finn shot back at Colin.

Turning to O'dette the Australian squinted his eyes at her accusingly. "You've ruined him when you turned him into 'environmental activist Logan'."

"Leave him be." O'dette rolled her eyes, carefully sipping her wine. Logan smiled at her with sheer appreciation. If you asked six years ago when he met the French blonde, that he'd consider her his best wingman he would have laughed. "He's only got five more years to save the world from global warming. Until he's clawed back into the firm."

"Six." Logan corrected. It mattered.

"So, did you get that grant or not?" Colin changed the subject looking at both blondes. For months, Logan has been running around chasing funds for setting up water purifiers in developing countries schools.

"Well... the Italians didn't put their money where their mouth is" Odette says.

Logan wondered if it was a wise move to send Odette to that meeting. She distained Italians.

She eyed him carefully "but the London meeting came through."

"Huh? I though you missed that meeting." Colin asked as Logan mouthed her to 'shut up'.

"Oh, he did." O'dette was enjoying this. Logan watched as she lit the burners under Finn. "He sent a 'friend'."

"What friend?" Finn's voice took over the conversation.

Colin covered his eyes. "Seriously, Logan. The protégée?"

"You know about that?" "What did I miss?" Two accents exclaimed at one.

"He tells me everything." Colin said off handedly. Finn shot a disappointed look at Logan.

"Nothing happened." Logan said sternly. Sending both Colin and O'dette a silencing glare.

"Lair." Colin warned, "You're playing with fire."

* * *

"It's been such a long time since you last were here for a Friday dinner" Emily gashed over her granddaughter. "this haircut compliments you so well, don't you think Richard?"

Rory didn't know what was it about this haircut that gained so much attention. It only bangs and a little wave. She can nearly recreate in her mind the way Logan fingers itched to touch her strands. Her stomach filled with butterflies who died painfully when he pulled his hand back, untouching.

"Oh yes, the bangs are sexy in a professional way." Lorelai quipped.

So maybe that what it was.

"How long are you here this time, Rory?" Her grandmother rolled her eyes at the Lorelai asked.

"3 weeks." She answers.

If she's completely honest, this is probably her longest time off in the last three years.

Mitchum and Shira went on the cruise 'to work on their marriage' and school is out for summer break.

Alice blanked the whole schedule, sarcastically commenting that 'it very important to make sure you know where your priorities lies'.

Honor chuckled over the phone.

Logan sprayed his beer over her blue dress. "One big swingers party cruise." He corrected.  
-

"What are your plans?" Emily Gilmore continued

"Nothing much." Rory shrugged. "Hanging out with mom in Stars Hollow, maybe visit some Yale friends in New York. Get ahead start on my reading."

"Who lives in New York?" Her grandmother asks.  
_Logan_. _If he'd home._

"Paris, mom." Lorelai filled in, eyeing Rory suspiciously. Rory blushed realizing she spaced out at the wrong moment. Her grandfather smirked into his stake.

* * *

Stars Hollow is exactly how she remembers it.

She drinks coffee at Luke's, visit the book store, hangs out with her mom at the inn, order out of Al's pancake world, buy snacks at Doose's, barricade herself in the bookstore, and sit through all the good-hearted inquires of her successful career.

She visits Lane and Rory can't help but feel that maybe their life is too different now.

After a week, she's bored.

That's why, perhaps, she finds herself sitting in her mother kitchen with her finger hovering her contact list. Oh what the hell.

"Hi shadow" he picks up after the third ring, she can hear the smile in his voice "You're off the lease?"

She ignores his innuendo, "Is it a good time?"

The background around him subside and she know he stepped away from something. "Yeah, sure, It's just Colin. what's up?"

"Smoking Colin?"

He chuckles and confirms. "So…"

"I'm home." She says dumbly.

"Yeah?" he prods.

"Yeah."

"Meet me at Yale?" she feels her blood rush in her veins when she says 'Okay'.

* * *

She waits for him at the bar nursing her courage beer. The Rich man shoe wasn't an institute she frequently visited on her Yale days. It wasn't the library. It's mid-week and summer break, so the place is far from crowded.

"So, finally seeing you at Yale." He leans to kiss her cheek, the twinkle danced in his eyes at his own joke. She resists the urge to touch the spot his lips left. He smells like fresh breeze and mint.

He signals the bartender for a drink and gesture towards a table at the back, "Come on, let's make this more private."

"You really do stand out here with your slacks." His hand on her back guides her to a booth.

"Funny, Shadow." He flashes the trademark Huntzberger smile. "How's your vacation?"

"I miss the action." She admits. Unrecognizable emotion he can't suppress fast enough flutter on his features.

"How's school?" he takes a sip from his drink.

"School's good." She smiles widely. "I love it, classes are so inspiring. I had this class about Aid Politics and everything you do with 'Planète' just started to make so much more sense"

He smiles genuinely at her, "What happens when it's over?"

"Are you recruiting me?" Rory raise her eyebrow in question. He shakes his head.

"Is staying on HPG is one of those options?"

"I'm considering my options. Why do you care?" She asks defensively, playing with her charm bracelet.

"Well, my father seems to be very fond of you Shadow." He grabs her wrist tracing her compass tattoo with his thumb.

Their eyes meet.

"You two talk about me. A lot." She hears herself state.

"He's chatty." He admits uncomfortably, like it something he shouldn't have. "If we talk about you, we don't talk about me."

She wonders what that means. This evening turns out to be such a curveball. Business talk was the last thing on her mind when she placed the call.

The beer taste bitter in her mouth. Or maybe it's the disappointment.

"Look," he says softly, his thumb keeps running circles on her wrist, "It's obvious he's grooming you; and for Mitchum its means owning you." He pauses "It takes one to know one."

"God you sound like my mother." Rory forcefully pulls her hand from his grip annoyed. "He doesn't own me. I'm not his puppet." Her skin burns with the of lack warmth his hand offers.

"You waited until he is 1,000 miles away to call me, I think it's quite telling." He looks at her pointedly.

"Look I know you have some complicated father and son relationship." She says angrily crossing her arms, "but he has zero influence on how I conduct my professional **_or_** personal life."

The minute the words leave her mouth she knows it's a complete lie.

She probably wouldn't have chosen a masters in politics, although she loves it.  
Maybe her and Gavin would still be together.  
Maybe she'd see her mother more.  
She'd still write.

"Right," he says evenly, his fingers drumming on the table top, "Prove it."


	4. Chapter 4

Just a small reminder this is AU.

* * *

Part 4

'Planète' headquarters occupied half of the third floor in a mixed business-residential building.

In the beginning of February, the New York streets is wet. She can't help but thinks it's ironic she's about to crash his world exactly a year after he collided with hers.

As she enters, she spies the open space behind the large counter that serves as reception manned with a cheerful male receptionist. Name-tag says 'Evan'. On the right sit a large jar filled with blue-wrapped mints and chocolates balls wrapped in world map. Nice touch.

"I'm here to see Logan." She smiles confidently.

Mitchum once told her that if she wanted to get a seat at the table, she better act like she already has one. And charm their pants off.

"I'm sorry." Name-tag Evan he looks up from the calendar. There must have been a mix up. He's in a meeting with the strategy team until 4pm... What time is your appointment?"

"No mix up." she unwraps the one of the blue chocolates, and scribble something on the tinfoil before carefully folding it. "Please tell him, Rory Gilmore is here."

She hands him the note and smile politely.

Uncertain and puzzled Evan steps into the glass covered meeting room. He discretely notifies Logan of her presence and delivers her make-shift note. Logan has his back to her, so she can only guess his reaction.

Seconds later, a slightly shaken Evan hurries to re-occupy his post. "He said to come in and join them."

Logan introduces her to the room as HPG consultant.

She feels his eyes curiously shift between her face and the speaker through-out what's left of the presentation.

His father does the same thing. All the time. At first it was to make sure she listened, now it's to try figure out what she thinks. It uncanny how many features these two shares.

One difference she notices is that Logan doesn't wear ties. Ever.

"Rory it was really nice to finally meet you." O'dette, dressed in a fitting green dress kiss her cheeks in a French manner, her hand lightly touches her shoulder "we really appreciate your help in London."

"It was no trouble at all." Rory smiles. Making Logan snicker sarcastically.  
The grief she'd given him about that.

"You're out for the rest of the day?" Odette turns to Logan knowingly.

He nods. "You'll hold the fort?"  
"Don't I always?" the French answers half dramatically before exiting and they are left alone.

"Really, Shadow, 'Ready to rock your world?'" He leans back in the chair. "I expected something less cliché"

"My flight to London leaves at 22pm."

* * *

"Are you sleeping with O'dette?" the question is out of the mouth as soon as the elevator doors close and Logan press the 17th floor button.

"Not for the last four years." He counts easily, "I also hooked up once with Brooke, the water management consultant. Do you want a list of my sexual conquest since college? 'Cause I think Collin and Finn might be keeping track."

He looks satisfied that shut her up.

Rory is only half surprised when he unlocks one of the apartment's door and leads her in.

"You live fourteen floors above the office, who turned you into a workaholic?" She jokes as her eyes screens the condo layout. She places her bag on counter-top.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" he cuts to the chase, taking two bottles of water out of the fridge. Last he saw her they parted less than friendly.

"I wanted to supply you with proof." She says seriously, digging a copy of the latest issue of Bloomberg's BusinessWeek magazine out of her bag. "page 16."

His fingers flip through the pages, his eyes running over the tittle and he double-takes when he sees the author name '_**Rory Gilmore**_'.

"Does he know?" He looks up surprised. "There's no one he hates more than Michael Bloomberg."

"No, but I'm sure he does now." the weight of his words suddenly makes her nervous.

"Okay," Logan runs a hand through his hair, "What's your next move?"

"This." she kisses him. He tastes like mint. She imagined he would.

* * *

Her grandfather is elated with the specially delivered Bloomberg's Issue on his doorstep.

Her mother put a copy in each and every room of the Butterfly Inn.

_"My guests should be kept up to date with the insights and in-depth analysis on the trends shaping today's economy." Rory rolled her eyes at the phone._

Her grandmother tactlessly paraded her new achievement all over the country club.

The disappointed look she got from Mitchum hunted her.

* * *

_"In order for my dad to be truly disappointed in you, your name would have to be Logan." Logan assured her on the phone._

_"You're exaggerating."_

_"Trust me I'm not." He said "It was expected. He'll calm down." Knowing that didn't make it hurt less._

* * *

For weeks Mitchum spoke to her the minimal amount of words necessary. They went on their usual order of things, but it was obvious he was mad. Rory knew people were talking.

Alice agreed he was worse than 'his exceptionally foul mood' self.

She went to her meetings with the tech department, something about investing in cohesive electronic format of online editions. She understood now why her boss gladly passed on those.

Mitchum was out of the office again. So, this was good opportunity as any. She was tired of conversations cut abruptly when she passed.

"Okay, what are they saying about me?" Rory pulled her chair as close as humanly possible to Alice. The dark-haired assistance looked up from her doing her nails.

"I don't want to say." Alice said slowly, "for your own sake."

Rory shoot her a _'talk'_ look.

"Rumors are that you stopped screwing the boss and moved for the new-and-improved version..." Alice hurried her words.

"I never slept with him!" Rory hissed quietly.

"Which one?" Alice blue eyes looked at her curiously, "Rory, Darlin', everyone knows about your impromptu visit to New York earlier this month. And don't mind me saying, but you did have the '_fucked till next week_' funk going on."

Rory felt a deep blush creeping on her face. "He's just upset about the Bloomberg piece."

Alice patted her hand on her arm affectionately "Oh Darlin', he's not upset about the Bloomberg piece."

"What?"

"He thinks it's brilliant. He's upset about Logan."

* * *

Knowing she'll be home in April for her mother birthday was what kept her going during these awful few weeks.

Lorelai went all out on the celebrations, mountains of candy and ice cream, big movie screen in the town center. Luke treated her with endless coffee supply for the day.

Rory was happy. Well nearly.

While things were warming up with Logan. The older Huntzberger was still frosty. They were cordial but they didn't speak unless necessary.

Alice said she should just _'get over herself and talk to him.'_

But the truth is that Rory didn't know what to say. _"sorry I'm fucking your son?"_

Now she was back in London. Back in school. The weather was terrible, so was her cough. After three days of walking around clogged, she had no choice but to call in sick.

The doorbell woke her up. It rang and rang and rang.

She pulled herself up from the bed, slowly making her way to the door. Her head and feet hurt. The walk seemed longer than she remembered.

"Jesus you look terrible."

"What are you doing here?" Rory asked, cough taking over her body. She leaned against the door.

"You didn't answer your phone for two days. Alice said you called in sick." Logan pressed his hand to her forehead. "You have fever."

"No shit sherlock."

Logan pressed a wet cloth on her forehead for the fever, but couldn't manage to make her eat. Two Advil and a dose of cough medicine later Rory was sleeping again.

Logan set up his laptop on the kitchen counter.

"Tell me you're not serious." Odette angry voice came through the phone, "We have the pitch for the UNEP on Wednesday and Evan tells me you're in London?"

"I can work on this from here. Just put me on conference call. "

"That's not the issue."

"Great. All sorted then." He agrees, although he get the feeling she's not done. To his surprise she remains silent. "O'dette?"

"Nothing, it can wait until you're back in the states." She clicks the conversation off.

He stares at his phone confused. O'dette never holds back from a beating. The doorbell rings.

The door reveals his dad with a takeaway bag.

"Rory called in sick." His father sets down the brown back on the counter. "I brought soup."

Father and son stand awkwardly in the middle of the condo. Logan can't remember a time Mitchum cared when _he_ was sick.

"She's sleeping." he tucks his hands into his pockets uncomfortably. "You want scotch?"

"Rory doesn't drink scotch." Mitchum says.

"Yeah, well, Rory doesn't always know what's best for her." Logan shrugs and pours a portion into two clear glasses. "I thought cold-shoulder treatment was still in fashion these days."

"Direct as always I see." Mitchum brought the glass to his lips, "not that it's any of your business."

"She's upset about it. And I know it's because of me." Logan reasons, "I think it qualifies as my business."

His dad hums in disagreement.

"Despite what you think, I didn't manipulate her to get back at you." Logan states, "I did what you asked. She came to me."

"So that Bloomberg piece, that isn't you?"

"No, that was me. But I didn't do it to stick it to you. I did it to prove her she can still do it."

"It's a great piece." Mitchum admits.

"I know. You should tell her." A thoughtful Logan swish his drink, "For some reason, which is beyond me ever understanding, she looks up to you, thinks the world of you... Either cut her a break or cut her loose."

Mitchum looks pensive. Logan can see the wheels turning in his head.

"And apologies." Logan adds quickly.

"Okay." The older man looks surprised but agrees, "What do I get out of it?"

Logan sigh and looks at him wearily. He should have known "What do you want?"

"A weekly column written by you." Mitchum challenges.

"Bi-weekly, and Jake Greenberg is my editor." Logan counters. If he's gonna do it, at least on his own terms. Jake was his best bet. He was his go-to guy before he left HPG.

"Bi-weekly. I'm your editor." Mitchum's tone indicates negotiation is over "That's final."

Logan shallows hard and downs the rest of his drink. "Fine."

"Well, it was a pleasure doing business with you." the older man brushes imaginary dirt off his pants, "I bet her mother is less than thrilled about another Huntzberger man in her life."

Logan hums in agreement.

"Logan, what are your intentions?"

"I don't intend to share." Logan says hardly.

Mitchum laughs. "You think me and her…"

"She told me she didn't and I believe her." Logan clarifies, "Look, I get that you're her boss. I respect it for her sake. I don't have to like it."

"Very mature." Mitchum nods and stand up. "Well, I look forward to your creative contribution."

Logan feels a headache coming. His fingers slowly massage his temples.

"Logan," the young man's head snap up to meet his older version standing at the door. He almost looks proud. "I taught you well."

Logan Huntzberger got seriously played.


	5. Chapter 5

**Just a quick note :)**

**I can tell you to expect this fanfic to probably be around 10 parts. Which means we're right at the middle. I already knows how this little story ends.**  
**The more I write this, even though this started out in my mind as a Rogan, I realize what I'm most interested is the relationship between Logan and Mitchum. Because well, how they feed off and react to each other is just high class drama. So I do take my time to explore it.**

**I want to thank anyone who made time to read, follow, favorite this. The response for this has been so positive and so incredible that every time I post I just can't warp my head around it. **

* * *

**Part 5**

"Logan likes to prove me wrong." Mitchum says out of the blue, "In fact, I think thrives in it."

Rory slowly place her fries back down. Her uneasy feeling about this lunch grow. Once she came back from her sick leave Mitchum acted like the cold war was only a figment of her imagination. He took interest if she caught up with her course-work and told her to take it easy.

A few days later the older Huntzberger requested she joined him for lunch. He even made a point to pick a place she liked. And now, this.

She thought the Logan topic was off limits. In fact, she** _preferred_** they didn't discuss him.

"Many times, it fails catastrophically and I have to bail him out." His eyes hold a faraway look, like he's flooded with memories. "But when it works, all I have left is to eat my hat."

Rory tries to suppress a smile of this mental image.

"He did right by goading you. The Bloomberg piece was brilliant." Mitchum forces the words out, "I was wrong, Rory. I apologies."

Rory's head feel dazed. She can't help her face from breaking into a wide smile. "Thank you."

"Now, I don't quite see why you had to go and publish your ace piece with the competition. But I recognize a classic Logan Huntzberger move when I see one." He waves his fork dismissively.

Rory is alarmed. God Mitchum Huntzberger could be such an asshole when he wants to.

"He had nothing to do with that." Rory said defensively crossing her arms. "I didn't..."

"Rory," he interrupts her "I know my son's weakness and he knows mine."

"No, really. That was all me." He looks at her doubtfully. "I didn't want it to seem privileged. Everyone in the industry knows I work for you."

Rory never saw Mitchum Hunztberger speechless.

"When you graduate. I want you to stay with HPG." He turns serious and changes the subjects before she has time to recover. "I wasn't born yesterday. It's natural to consider your options."

Rory bit her lip.

"I'm an old dog. But I learn from my mistakes." Mitchum's expression is unreadable to her, "What I'm offering you is any job you want. At the headquarters of your choice New York, Tokyo, London, whatever. That is how valuable you are to this company."

"I… I don't know what to say…." Rory feels both winded and flattered at the same time. She didn't see that coming.

"Me and Logan, we didn't part on good terms. I'd hate history to repeat itself." He admits. Rory's eyes widen. Now that's interesting.

"… Can I ask what happened?" She toys with her napkin.

"Logan made a very rush decision that still costs us a lot of money." Micthum chewed on his stake but didn't supply further details. How the man could conduct this conversation and stomach anything was beyond her.

Well that explains the train of lawyers a year back Rory thought.

"But he's on the board."

"Foolish acts don't absolve you from your responsibilities." He says firmly. His knife scratches the china.

"Oh."

"I thought he was out of mind when he left HPG." He says hotly, "But you know Logan, he can be incredibly stubborn. A bit impulsive with a flair for adventure."

Rory smiles despite herself. It's a right down description.

"Very charming too." He looks at her meaningfully. She blushes and look away.

"Water management technology is highly risky business. He came through, did good." Mitchum almost sounds proud through his anger for a minute. "He has killer instincts."

Like father like son.

Rory wonders maybe should have recorded him. Logan will never believe her.

"Eat your fries. They're getting cold." Mitchum instructed.

* * *

She can't stop kissing him.

Logan just breezed in to her office unannounced twenty minutes ago supporting a huge smile on his face. The new office was a direct demonstration of how serious Micthum was regarding her future with HPG. She's well aware.

Logan visit however was completely unexpected. He stayed away from the office like it was fire.  
There was no board meeting scheduled. Not that Logan attended them religiously anyways.

"I like the new digs, Shadow" he said before his lips attacked hers.

She missed him. Missed the combination of mint and cologne. The sound of his voice without phone static. The feel of his hands in her locks, how his body pressed into hers. Just the touch of his love is enough to take control of her whole body.

"Rory, Mitchum's office called, he wants a picture." Keira rushed through the door looking terrified.

"Of this?!" Rory exclaimed. Suddenly aware her disheveled state of dress, quickly redoing the three buttons in her dress shirt.

Keira, her new assistant, another benefit of this so-called upcoming promotion, looked now equally embarrassed as terrified. "I'm sorry… I didn't… "

"Logan Hunzberger, Nice to meet you." Logan recovers quickly, shaking Kiera's hand. "I'll make sure to remember to lock the door next time."

Kiera's blush completely took over her when he winked. Rory slapped his arm horrified.

"Logan." Mitchum boomed in the door. Rory blush deepened _Just what I need. _Kiera took the opportunity to flee.

"Dad" Logan said dryly.

"Should have expected all the communion to be down to you." Rory, even with her new found insight, still couldn't warp her head around how dysfunctional father and son relationship is.

"Well you know me; the party goes where I go."

Mitchum turned to Rory "I wanted to see how you're handling things. Are you free for lunch tomorrow?"

"Um," She looked side-wise to Logan, whose face remained passive. "I have to check my schedule."

"Alright." Mitchum turned to leave, "Logan, are you welcome to join us of course. And Rory, make sure you send out a picture for the website. Apparently, they needed it yesterday."

* * *

She comes home to a barefoot Logan sleeping on the couch. Although Logan always looked like he breezed through life without a care in the world, in his sleep he looks enviously carefree. The rocket on his inner right ankle visible where his slacks rode-up. Her finger traces the outlines of the drawing.

In the end, he never told her what is means.

"Hi," his voice is hoarse from sleep. He runs his hand in his blonde mop, then rubs it over his eyes.

"Jet lag?" she cuddles into his side as he nods "When's your flight?"

"We've got time." He buries his face in her neck, his lips pressing against her pulse point. The quick rush of her blood excites him.

"Logan."

"Don't ruin this Shadow."

* * *

Rory waves at the mother and grandparents sitting on the plastic chairs. She can't help but feel de-za-vu to her Yale graduation. They look just as excited. Christopher Hayden is, of course, absent.

He eyes keeps scanning the crowd hopefully looking for a glimpse of a blonde head.

Logan said he'd try to make it before he boarded his red-eye to Nigeria. Things seemed to pick up for Planète. He was travelling a lot, each time they spoke he was stamping his passport in some other random country.

She bet he has tons of frequent flyer points.

* * *

"_Everyone cares about water scarcity, Shadow. And if they don't they should." he told her one night on the phone. __She wasn't sure if he was aware how much like Mitchum he sounded._

_The older man used the same phrase often, although he was more concerned about money than global warming._

* * *

She hadn't heard from him the last few days, their wires always got crossed.

She tried to focus on the speeches when she noticed in the corner of her eye a flash of blond hair at the back. Her heart raced for a minute, then disappointment washed over her when she realized it wasn't the Huntzberger she hoped for.

"You raised a brilliant daughter, Lorelai." Mitchum praised shaking her mother's hand, "She's my most prized employee!". Rory couldn't help herself from beaming at the compliment, a hint of pride evident in his voice.

Lorelai smiles politely. Her grandfather looks as equally proud. Her grandmother chest puffed.

He turns to Rory, "You did a great job!" he arms evolved her in an awkward fatherly hug. Despite herself, how hurt she felt from his behavior the last months, the gesture make her beyond happy.

_'__He's not exactly the hugging type' __Logan's voice rang in her ear._

"I was instructed to give you this." He hands her a small light blue box retrieved from the inside pocket of his jacket.

Her mother eyes grow wide. Her grandmother too. For two completely different reasons.

"Tiffaney's!" he grandmother loudly whispers to her grandfather.

Rory catches her mother eyes before revealing a Rhino charm. How random.

She looks at Mitchum quizzing. He shrugs. "I never understood that boy's mind."


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi all. ****This part is definitely my favorite! **

Some clarification:  
I've changes the story rating to T, just to be on the safe side because of a scene that appears in this part.

I do try to adapt some GG scenes into this. As this AU I think it make it more believable and ties it stronger to the fandom. Those, obviously belong to the show-runners and writers.

I apologize again for grammar, spelling and etc. I know its there, I did my best to clean it.

* * *

**Part 6**

Her charms twinkled in the Connecticut afternoon sun. Rory edged the two charms gently; she still wonders of the meaning of her newest.

The annual Huntzberger Gala, Hartford. 4th of July. This party, on top of other things, seemed to assure her suspicion Logan and Mitchum reached some sort of mutual understanding.

Mitchum deflected the subject, preferring to talk of her upcoming transfer to the New York office instead. When she asked Logan, he neither confirmed or denied.

Logan also flat out refused to talk about his column. _"It's just something I do every two weeks"_

"Logan has a great taste in jewelries." Honor's voice startles her out of her thoughts.

The bubbly blonde quickly occupies the empty seat beside her and grabs her hand to get a closer look at the sparkling piece. "Interesting choice."

"Still trying to figure out it." Rory admitted. Her and honor are friendly, but this was unprecedented she didn't quite know if they were 'you're-on-my-fathers-pay-roll' or 'dating-my-little-brother' friendly.

"You don't know?" Honor gasps. "My brother is such an idiot." The latter then.

"He's alright,"

"My interior designer says that in Feng-Shui, a Rhino is a symbol of protection against enemies." The blonde fingers the animal symbol.

"Also, I saw once on National Geographic that people in Africa believe that those who are protected by Rhinos knows what they want in life and how to get it." Honor takes a quick breath before adding, "Logan made me watch."

Rory feels her heart swoons.

"It's romantic really," Honor chuckles "In a true Logan fucked up fashion."

Her eyes search him in the crowd, but she can't find him.

"He's hiding on the roof." Honor says offhandedly, "Dad forced him to talk shop."

The blonde and brunette smile at each other. "Honor, can I ask you something?"

"Yes, of course."

"Is Logan coming back to HPG?"

"Well it's his birthright." Rory is surprised by her choice of her words. "So yes, one day."

* * *

"So, twilight zone." leans against the bathroom door.

Logan eyes meets hers in the mirror. His face foamy with shaving cream.

"Been talking to Honor again, eh?" He smirks and she pouts. "There's no way you could have figured it out own your own."

"She also said you've been talking shop in the study." She crosses her arms on her chest.

"Yes." He states simply and busies himself washing the razor.

"For someone who wants nothing to do with the family business, you talk a lot of shop." She wonders aloud. "What did you talk about?"

"New York." Logan voice is muffled by the towel he used to dry his face. When he's done their eyes meets again in the mirror.

"What has that got to do with you?"

"Absolutely nothing." His hand pats his face with the aftershave. The smell assaulted her senses. "Trust me, I've learnt my lesson not to ask him of anything. It always ends up costing me more."

She looks at him that time in Yale. Like realization kicked in. "You're behind the '_you're valuable to this company the kingdom is at your disposable Rory_' lunch."

"The what?" he asks confused.

She backs into the bedroom, pauses for a minute, runs her hand through her hair, before starting to stuff her belonging into her carry-on.

"Rory, wait." Logan grabs her elbow. "What are you talking about? I only told him to apologies."

Was she really picking a fight over this?

She shakes his hand off, "Well he did, what did **_you_** get out of it?"

"A headache." Logan says hotly.

She doesn't believe him.

"I hate it when he's right." Logan groans lowly, running his hand in his hair, "He said you are fast on the details but slow on the big picture."

"Oh! This is _rich_." She hisses and crosses her arms.

"Of-course he'd offer you anything you want." Logan says hotly, "He realized he underestimated you with the Bloomberg curveball. He wants to keep you sweet."

"You mean keep **_you_** sweet." Her eyes flash with anger. She zips her suitcase shut. "If I'm here, then **_you_** keep writing, right? Alice was right, it's never about me, but it's always about _**you**_."

"No. I have nothing to do with it. He's just terrified of you jumping ship." He too is terrified to learn how close to home his own words hit.

"Yes, because that's re-living **_you_** all over again."

The hurt in his eyes hunted her for days.

* * *

"Keep up, Colin."

"_Keep up, Colin_" the dark-haired man mimicked, panting heavily "my lungs burn, Logan. Why did I get roped to this? What happened to O'dette?"

"The doctor said she can't engage in any strenuous activity." Logan jumps in place as Colin looked up to him hands on his knees, back arched.

They're Jogging. Colin hates to jog. Couldn't Logan pick Squash for today's activity?

"I do feel the strain." Colin whines.

"Exercises is good for you." Logan cited, "Honestly I thought you were in better shape. Come on, " he tags his friend, "one more mile."

"I don't have time for that. My spare time is dedicated to pro-bono."

* * *

"So O'dette's pregnancy... That's flustering…" Colin observes carefully from his sprawl on the couch. He takes a shallow drag of the make shift cigarette. They should really wait for Finn to report, but Colin been dying for a puff all week.

Logan has been a laying a low profile lately, and every time he did see him, he looked withdrawn.

Colin swears he doesn't know his best friends anymore.

It made no sense that a guy like Logan, who invested to much time and energy into cutting his father out of his life, to take so much interest in pursuing his father's pride and joy protégée.

Then O'dette dropped her one-night-stand cock-up pregnancy bombshell.

Finn was got engaged and she wasn't even a redhead. In all honesty, the new Finn freaked Colin out the most.

"It's a fucked-up situation, man. He's such a jerk." Logan admits, "It will be a bit of adjustment for 'Planète' later on. But it's what she wants, so I've got her back. She'll figure it out."

"I feel like I dodged a bullet." Colin takes another drag. When she told them, Colin felt so sorry for her. "It could easily be one of us."

Logan shake his head, taking his own turn with the cigarette "That would be becoming my father. I do my best to avoid that at all costs."

Colin chuckles. Honor's birth circumstances were Hartford's best worst kept secret. It was Mitchum who relay the 'have sex but keep it save' talk on them when they turned sixteen.

Both Logan and Colin shuddered at the memory.

"Speaking of… How's it going with Rory?" He changes the subject.

"It's not." Logan takes a long draw and closes his eyes.

"Then maybe you should return her scarf…" Colin gestures at a leopard pattern piece "What happened?"

"She has daddy issues." Logan says darkly.

* * *

"I changed my mind." Rory clear her throat standing at the study entrance.

It's a close call which study was more impressive, her grandfather's or Mitchum's. She assumed the newspaper man had more first editions occupying the shelves.

She rarely visited the house. Never this late. There was something unsettling about the Huntzberger mansion.

_"It's the echo. Everything is hollow from the inside." Logan's words float in her mind. "Unlivable wealth."_

Sometimes Logan's ability to call on the bluff reminded her of her mother's.

Actually, if she really thinks of it, there's of resemblance between her mother and her Logan.  
They both were caught in the endless process of rebellion against rules and expectations. Both are stubbornly invested in doing it _"my way"._

Rory was (and its a weakness Mitchum called her on) a people pleaser.

She shake her thoughts. This was important. Tonight, she's channeling her best Lorelai Gilmore.

"About?" Mitchum's eyebrows question.

"New York."

The book he's reading closes with a thud. "Have a seat."

"I'd rather stand, sir."

"Rory Gilmore, when I say take a seat. You take a seat." He snaps. She obeys.

"I'm ready to re-negotiate." he says calmly after a few minutes of tense silence, his eyes searching her face for a hint. "No more with the 'Sir', nonsense, alright?"

If she's surprised, she doesn't show it. She has air of determination surrounding her.

"I really appreciate the offer. But I don't want the job with 'Strategy and Development'." She finally says quietly, averting her eyes.

He's quiet. Waiting. She was sure he'd shout.

"I want to work at HarperCollinsPublishers" the words hurry out of her mouth.

He's surprised to his eyebrows.

Mitchum never hid his particular preferences for her going the path of 'Strategy and development' office. He thoroughly laid out how and why this is the perfect stepping stone to every executive position.

The clock on the wall ticks. Rory feels the disappointment radiant from him and into the room.

"That could be arranged." He finally says after a few moments of silence. "Can I ask what brings this change of heart?"

"I just love books." Rory Gilmore voice is laced acceptance and hope. Her blue eyes clouds with a dreamy look. "Before I loved journalism, I loved books."

Mitchum Huntzberger's mouth corner tags a little. His hand reach to squeeze hers affectionately "That's a really good answer."

"I'm not Logan." Her blue eyes shine in what looks like a new found self-esteem, "I'm never gonna be Logan."

The older man's mouth corner twitched as he squeezed her hand again, "Yes. I know."


	7. Chapter 7

**Enjoy. **

* * *

**Part 7**

Rearranging her life back in the states was a lot of bureaucracy. Her grandfather handled he financial side, her health insurance, her pension rights from HPG.

Paris hijacked general health-care:

_"You've been having cross-Atlantic sex with a man who's galloping half the African continent, disaster-stricken Asia, south America and the south pacific." Paris nearly pulled her hair out, "Go get checked for Zika."_

_"Well when she puts it like that…" Her mother's mouth twitched, shaping into a smirk._

_"And other sexual transmitted diseases!"_

_"Maybe you should throw in some blood tests too…" mother offered daughter cheekily, "See if you have all your vitamins."_

Rory long ago learnt that doing was Paris says is just easier. Because in Paris's case her bite really is worse than her bark.

So that's what bring her after much harassing to visit the doctor office. The one Paris ranked highest on her dictated 'list of the doctors you need to know in New York'.

She approaches the woman at front-desk at the same time a pregnant blonde with a French accent asks to schedule her next checkup.

"I have an appointment, under the name of Rory Gilmore."

The blonde's head snap in her direction. She looks awfully familiar.

"Rory? I'm O'dette." Rory can't help but eye the blonde's body, lingering on her notable bump "From Planete' ". The French word hangs in the air. Rory feels like the air sucks away from her body.

"There you go, bring the file with you when you go in." The receptionist hands her a thin folder.

"Thanks." She distractedly takes the folder, "Congratulations?" she offers.

"Oh yeah," the French woman looks flustered, "Six months" she nervously rubs her bump. "We should talk… There's a café; two streets down to the right. I'll wait for you."

Rory eyes widen as she quickly calculates back.

* * *

She was doing so well.

She spends her days surrounded by manuscripts, drowning in imaginative world created by people who web word to word, line to line, until characters come alive. For the past month Rory lived breathed and ate literature. She even caught herself sniffing books at the New York public library.

Untangling herself from everything Huntzberger was turning out of be surprisingly easy.

Not working directly with Mitchum was refreshing. It was less stressful for sure.

Except she each time she finished a manuscript she wondered what would he think of it.

In the end, she found herself dialing him weekly to discuss 'stuff'.

With Logan it was harder. She kept replying their last words.

Tidbit's of his life kept popping up unexpectedly. Her thoughts of him seem to come out of nowhere. The protein bars near the cashier at Starbuck.

The organic section in the supermarket.

Mints attached to your lunch bill.

Dying plants in the office. She found herself watering them. She. Rory Gilmore.

And of course, there was that stupid column which surprised her every two weeks.

So maybe she wasn't doing so well…

Now this. She doesn't know if she can bounce back if it is what she thinks it is.

Curiosity got the better of her, Rory reached the café and walked in.

"It's not Logan's." were O'dette's first words when she sat down.

"Okay, then I got all I wanted to know." Rory made to leave, but the French grabbed her hand quickly.

"Wait. Rory, Logan is really one of the good guys…"

"I know." Rory plays with the pepper shaker. O'dette grabs the salt.

"It's just… for Logan, HPG and his dad… that's a bleeding wound." O'dette tries to explain. Rory gesture her to stop.

She didn't blame him for not chasing her. She also knew deep down that he would pick up the phone if she called. But she couldn't bring herself to eat back her words.

"He's been really great with all of this unplanned situation." O'dette gestures at herself. Her hand spins the salt shaker, as if to emulate his whirlwind "Footing all the extra miles now, because I can't travel…"

Both women just sit there for minute.

"My mum was also a single mum." Rory offers, and they both smile in understanding.

O'dette push the salt shaker towards the pepper in Rory's hand.

"He really misses you."

* * *

"You're too nice Gilmore." Jake Greenberg tells her as they exit the elevator.

"I prefer professional." She answers, briefly checking her reflection in the mirror. She looked more composed than she felt. "That was heart wracking, I butchered her dream."

Jake Greenberg was one of the editors, science fiction was his specialty. They hit it off immediately after he made a comment about how the "Dune" adaptation was a crime against humanity even String couldn't prevent. He also worked for HPG before.

"Sometimes it's necessary." He offered some consultation, "Listen Rory."

"Yeah?" Rory says distractedly, hunting a clean cup in the office kitchenette. She still needs to read through the last four chapters of a manuscript she knows she'd gonna reject. She can't bring herself not to finish it, out of the respect.

"I was thinking… do you want to go out sometime?" he shoves his hands into his slacks pocket nervously.

Logan used to do that.

"Like a date?" She coughs out. Oh. bad reaction.

"Um, Yeah." He presses his lips together and waits for her response.

She doesn't know what to say. She honestly didn't see that coming.

"Anyway… Um, never mind. Forget I asked."

"Jake…I…"

"I get it, it's just weird because of Logan." He tries to wave it off.

Rory looks even more shell-shocked than before. Her face losing color, "You know Logan?"

"Logan Huntzberger. I worked with him on HPG. I proof read his column, comment on it. We get together sometimes…." He braves a smile and hurries back to his cubical. "Anyways it's all good. No worries."

He just leaves her waiting for the water to boil again.

For someone who's not even on the same soil as her, Logan Huntzberger sure seem to weasel his way into far too many of her conversations.

* * *

She stirs awake in the familiar setting. The room is illuminated by the sunlight penetrating through the cracks in the curtains.

The bed is warm. Logan's body sprawled on the bed, effectively trapping her down with his limbs.

She moves and his grip tightens. "Stay." His voice full of sleep.

"I need to pee." She whispers and he grants her freedom.

She looks at the sleeping man reflection as she washes her hands.

Rory Gilmore hates to own up to her mistakes. Her anger was misplaced. Her words cut deep. She realizes that.

If she's truly honest with herself, she doesn't know what they are, or what compelled her to seek him out, and what went through his head when he let her back in.  
But she can admit to herself that can't bring herself to quit him.

Nor does she want to. He makes her feel she can do anything. Her makes her feel alive.

She quietly gets dressed, then edge the bed. Stroking through his short locks. They got darker as his tan.  
"Mmm get back to bed."

"I have to go." She says rationalize "I promised my mum I'd try to hang out with her, even if it's just for dinner. I haven't seen her in ages."

"But she doesn't kiss as good as I do."

* * *

Logan carefully balance the pink box in hands before ringing the bell next to the white door. It's Honor's 'small-intimate-family-only' birthday party. He tried to argue his way out of it. Saying he just saw them over Christmas. She wouldn't budge, insisting his attendance is necessary.

The door burst open revealing a relived looking Josh. "Great! you brought cake!"

"I was ordered cake duty." Logan looks at him confused, trusting the square box into the other man's arms.

"Honor was afraid you'd forget." _Afraid I would bail._

"She has such low expectations of me. It must run in the family."

"Logan!" Honor jumps to hug him as he enters the family room. She wears a toy tiara on her head, one identical to Annabeth, her oldest daughter. They're playing tea party, his mother too.

To his greater surprise, his father is casually dressed and holds the newest baby.

"How'd you take you tea?" Honor jokes.

"Spiked." He taunts.

"Logan!" Both women chimes. Honor shots him a disapproving look and his mother cover the girl's ears.

"How's O'dette?" She wonders.

"Good. Good. Her mom came from France to help out with everything." O'dette had her baby girl two weeks earlier. Babies freak the shit of him.

He offers his sister another hug "Happy birthday."

"Where's Rory?" she whispers discretely and he's notably taken aback.

How did she find out? He's been keeping it quiet until he was sure…_ sure she wouldn't bolt on him_.

"I don't know." He ducks the question, knowing he only tipped her off further "Ask dad."

* * *

"Are you gonna jump?"

Logan's slender figure jumps startled. She contemplated what would be the best way to reveal her presence when she found him staring at the sea of rooftops. In the end she couldn't help herself, it was too easy.

"Honor." He breathes, "You should wear a bell."

"Well that would spoil the whole point of sneaking up on you." She takes a few strides towards that dirty sofa and sat down. "Who are you hiding from?" She jokes.

"You." he knew she'd seek him out.

The two siblings sit and stare at the sky silently.

"Dad's acting strange." Honor says finally, looking sideways at her younger brother. She lights one of Shira's cigarettes.

Logan laugh, "this is out weirdest conversation yet."

"I'm serious. He's acting like…" Honor search for the words "Like a normal dad."

Logan looks at her suspiciously, edging her to continue.

"Two months ago, he called to ask if he can come see the girls. _On a Wednesday_." She stresses at Logan amused face "Now he comes over every Thursday to play with Annabeth. She asked him to pick her up from daycare." His sister paused for effect, "_He said yes_."

Her words linger in the air. Logan is lost for words.

"This is really freaking me out Logan." She does looks horrified.

He stays quiet for a long time, in his own world. She lights another cigarette.

"You really shouldn't smoke those death sticks." She rolls her eyes at him.

"Logan, I hate to pry really," she starts, he rolls his eyes, "How exactly any of this works, you, dad and Rory?"

"You know very well that I wouldn't be in her bed, if she ever was in his." He looks at her seriously.

She nods. The fainted idea the rumors to might be actually true, makes her sick to her stomach.

Anyways Logan was terrible at sharing. Even less tolerate of anything his father considered good or approved. She is sister, no one know it better than her. But well... Here they are anyways.

"So it's true? you're back together?" His sister is like a dog with a bone.

"I don't know what we are. It's complicated."

"Because of dad."

"Sometimes because of dad." _But not always._

Honor rests her head on his shoulder in a comforting gesture, offering him the smoke. He shakes his head. "Aren't you jealous?" She asks quietly.

"Jealous of what?"

"Of Rory." Honor's voice thickens. "That he acts more like a dad to her than he ever was to us?"

He says nothing, but his face tells her everything she needs to know. She squeezes his arm and he squeeze hers back.

"If the circumstances were different, I think I'd like a man like Mitchum Hunztberger as my professional mentor." He says quietly.

"You walked away from that." Honor reminds him.

"Well, the circumstances aren't different. It's all clad in draconian contracts. I'm just living on borrowed time".

* * *

Motion stops when Mitchum Hunztberger steps into the 'planète' offices, a Barnes & Noble paper bag in hand. Logan can't help but wonder.

**_Dad showed up at work_**. He quickly texts honor.

His phone beeped with his sister response.

**_I really think we should hospitalize him_**.


	8. Chapter 8

Okay. Only two more to go.  
I wanted to wait until part 9 and 10 are completely written before I posted this one. Just to make justice with myself, the characters and you all. Part 9 and 10 are linked and will be posted together later this weekend.  
I love reading your reviews. It's nice to see people are invested and engaged with the characters and in this story-line in general. So thank you. It's heart warming.  
To be honest, when I read back before posting the new segment, I just can't quite believe that I actually wrote this. My apologies for editing and grammar mistakes. I always finds errors when I read back.

* * *

**Part 8**

It's late when Rory spies the book bag on the counter.

"What's that?" Rory excitedly shook the Barnes & Noble paper bag. "You got me a gift?" she peeks into the bag to see something that looks like a warped thin book.

Logan looks uncomfortable "It's my birthday present."

"My birthday's in October." She looks at him oddly before gasping "It's your birthday?! I didn't know it was your birthday! Why didn't you say anything?"

Logan looks at her skeptically. "You were with me at my last two birthday's celebrations."

"No, I wasn't." she says, "I would have known if I was at your birthday party."

"Yes, you were." He insists. She looks puzzled. "Two years ago, I was in London for the board meeting. We went for drinks." He recalls.

"You're making it up, that wasn't your birthday." She argues. "The board always gathers on February, after the annual reports."

"The board is gathered every year ahead of my birthday. It's the only board meeting I'm obligated to attend." He says bitterly, "It's the old man's way to piss on the fun."

"Oh." She can't help but think what a twisted way for Mitchum to make sure he sees his son on his birthday.  
Nothing surprises her regarding these two anymore.

"And last year… well we were here." Rory blushes at his insinuation. "Just so you know, last year you gave me one hell of a birthday present."

Rory blush deepen at his innuendo. She turns from him.

"So who's it from?"

"Dad." He drawls slowly, running his hand in his hair frustrated. "He personally delivered it."

Rory is stunned into silence.

"Why don't you open it then?" she tries to ask lightly.

Logan's expression is pained. "He gives lousy gifts."

"But you don't know what it is."

"I know my father."

She rustles medium paper bag at him insistently. "Well it doesn't bite!" she says cheerfully.

He knows she'll just follow him around with it, so he grabs it reluctantly. "I'm naming you responsible in the fire department report if this explodes."

"Fine by me." Rory shrugs and rubs her hands excitedly. She's curious to see what is it. "This is so intriguing!"

He wished he could share the sentiment. He takes a deep breath before he tears off the colorful paper.  
It's a children book.

Logan's face overcome with surprise and unreadable emotion. She watches him closely, surprised he struggles to cover it.  
Her Logan is usually very cool.

His fingers trace the letters on the cover slowly. She recognizes the book.

**_Where the Wild Things Are by _**_**Maurice Sendak**__._

"This was my favorite book." He half-whisper.

"Logan…" she reaches out to him.

He flips through the pages to find his dad's sprawled handwriting inside the back-cover.

_"__And Max, the king of all wild things, was lonely and wanted to be where someone loved him best of all."_

_-dad_

Rory's eyes shine with emotion. Logan, through his sarcastic exterior, is clearly touched.

Then, he closes the book hotly like it burns him "I'm going to bed."

* * *

Logan's not home. She kind of hoped he would be, she brought ice cream, cookies and three types of popcorn, because honestly Logan refrigerator depresses her. It's so healthy.

His phone went to voice mail. She turns the TV on.

Ever since his birthday Logan was acting strange. He drank more she noticed. He came home smelling of sweet smoke. He worked longer hours. She found him sleeping on the couch. Half her calls went to voice mail.

The weirdest thing of all was the book. She kept finding _Where the Wild Things Are_ in weird places. Under the couch. In the coat closest. In the third drawer of where he kept the kitchen towels. Behind the cereal box in the cupboards. Under the doormat.

The trash can.

She dialed his number again. In the end she just went to bed.

* * *

Something broke. Glass. Rory jumped.

"Logan?"

"Sorry, I'm sorry. Go back to bed."

"Logan it's really late."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Go back to bed." He walks unsteadily to the refrigerator. "Is that all the cheese we have? I swear I thought we had more cheese."

He starts to take out items out. Bread. Mustard. Lettuce.

"It's 3am in the morning. Where were you?"

"I was with Colin and Finn. We had something to drink, and then another something and another something… you catch my drift..."

"Well yeah…"

"Oh, you're mad."

"Yes. I'm mad. I was worried about you. I called you four times before I went to sleep."

"Well my phone was on off. It's on off!" He notices the book on top of the counter.

"You're drunk." She accused.

"You don't get to tell me." He snapped. "Miss perfect." He quickly grabs the offending item and throwing it back in the trash.

"Logan." She reaches for the book.

"Don't touch that." He hisses. "Leave that fucking book there."

He's mad, she's never seen him angry.

"Logan.."

"I bet you were always perfect, _good_ girl. Good grades, does whatever mummy says, never curse, never skip class, never get into fights, never drink, never smoke… dutifully attend you extra-curricular. Never need to bail out of jail…" He counts.

She doesn't response to his rant.

"People pleasing Rory Gilmore." He looks like he hates her.

That hurt. What was it with Huntzberger men and calling her out on this particular character flaw?

"Logan, what's going on?"

"Were you?" he prods.

"Well yes.. but what…"

"I knew it! of course you were… Exactly as he wants them. Of-course he'd _**love**__ you_!" He spits out the words and immediately shoot his hand to his temples. "I have a headache."

"Come on," she tags his arm "Lets get you to bed."

He shrugs her hands off. The book taunts him peeking from the trash.

"I know that book by heart. He used to read it to me all the time. He has this booming voice, that really works for the _Wild Things_…" She feels tears well in her eyes at the emotion in his voice, "I memorized it for parent's night. I was six. He never came."

Rory's lips form a silent "oh."

"He went to your fucking your graduation." He continues to rub his temples, "He never attended mine… Or Honor's… Do you know what was my graduation present? Nothing. I was on the next plane to the London office. _Surprise_!"

"Logan…" she whispers reaching out to touch his arm, but he shrugs her hand off again.

"He calls you just to talk about 'stuff'…" his voice is barely audible now.

"Logan..." she starts but he cuts her off.

"He doesn't even know what's my favorite food."

* * *

When he wakes up, he finds toast, juice and Tylenol on the counter.

The book still in the trash.

* * *

O'dette pushed the baby into his arms before making a mad dash to the bathroom. "Jiggle her will you?"

O'dette was still on her maternity leave and he wondered what was bound to happen when it was time for her to get back to work. Different possible scenarios run through his head, but he didn't want to pressure her.

"So, what's up?" She came back looking relived. "I'm so glad you came by. I miss having grown up conversations. You look rough."

"I feel rough." Logan shifted the baby in his arms. "Mitchum payed me a visit at work. Please take her."

"No," O'dette said and he looked at her widely, "I miss my hands being free for more than three minutes when she's awake. Besides, babies look good on you Huntzberger."

Logan huffs.

"Finn was here the other day. I think he has baby-fever." O'dette informed him, "So what did he want?"

"Honestly, I don't know." Logan looked at the baby. She looked back at him. Seemed like she didn't have the answers either, "he gave me a birthday present. A book."

"No bashing? No ordering around? No '_it's-time-to-stop-fucking-around,-Logan_' talk?" O'dette asked.

Logan shook his head.

"You're kidding me."

"Take your baby back." He pushed the infant back to her mother.

"She has a name you know." O'dette joked, "So what does Rory think?"

Logan twitched his mouth. He didn't ask. Talking about Mitchum with Rory always ends badly.

"It's has nothing to do with her." He sighs.

"Why?"

"Because."

"Oh Logan, you so smart and yet so stupid." O'dette places a kiss on her daughter head. "This has everything to do with her. She's the trigger."

Logan looks away.

"That girl has more one-on-one with your old man's mind than anybody else, probably ever… and she kinda into you." O'dette rocked the girl "Don't you think its beneficial for you to ask her?"

"That's the kind of thing Mitchum would do." _Try to get in my head._

"Yes, so?"

* * *

Rory comes home to find him staring at that book. Well at least it's out of the trash.  
Rory feels strongly about disabusing books. She can't help it.

He's barefoot and wearing jeans. Drinking beer. "Didn't you go to work?"

"No. I met with O'dette."

"How is she?"

"All good." He says shortly.

"Are you O.K?" Rory asks carefully.

Logan shift his eyes to look at her. She's wearing her work clothes. Her hair is loose. Keys in hand.

He doesn't remember when exactly she got herself a key, or when he started to expect to see her 'home' at the end of the day. But he was worried that after last night she wouldn't.

"Did you eat? I'm thinking of Thai." _She's acting like nothing happened._

"Does he talk to you, about me?" his words make her stop.

"On rare occasion." She admits taking a seat next to him and grabs his hand. "I think it's difficult for him. Even more now that we're… I think he's afraid to overstep, so if he doesn't really have to, he just doesn't."

Logan lean his back on the couch and stare at the ceiling.

"He's really proud of what you did with 'planète'."

That makes Logan snort in disbelieve.

"I'm serious. He thinks you did good." She squeezes his hand.

"He thinks it's an idiotic waste of time." Logan counters back. "A filler."

"No…"

"I know how my father's mind work, Rory."

"Obviously it's not what he thinks you should do…" She rattles on. "He thinks its risky business; he thinks you did good. he keeps tabs on it."

Her words seem to sting him. His hand draw out of hers.

"Yes, he likes to keep tabs of me." Logan says bitterly. Taking a swing of his beer.

_"__Because after what you pulled, you can pretty much bet your ass I'm going to be spying on you for the rest of your life'."_

That argument still fresh in his mind after all these years. Most of the time it motivates him.  
Today it's just a source for discourage.

"He says you like to prove him wrong." She says with caution.

"He got that one right." His eyes full of so many emotions.

Silence takes over.

"My father was always absent too." She offers him, "He would just pop in whenever he liked. Every time it happened, I hoped he'd stay for good. He never did. We were never enough."

"Well its good thing you have mine, then." Logan says nastily, taking a large gulp out of the bottle. "You don't get to sit here and share sob stories of absent fathers."

"You don't get to be angry with me, Logan. I didn't steal him. You relations with your father was fucked up _way_ before I knew either of you." She's angry now too, so she stands up.

_Well she's right about that. _He admits to himself but keeps quiet.

"You're always going to be his first choice Logan. At anything. You're his _son_." Rory stress.

He snickers sarcastically "Funny you think that."

_O'dette was spot on about that bleeding wound._

"I am his heir." He corrects her stubbornly. "That's all I've ever been."

"You know, I didn't know you even existed the first two years I worked for him. Yet, every time he'd go into a meeting, he'd made a point to say: 'If Logan calls, just put him through.'"

Logan's eyes are hard. "He was just waiting for my fuck-up call."

"Maybe." She shrugs in defeat, "In the end of the day, he was just a dad waiting for his son to call."

Logan avert his eyes and takes another sip.

"This book." She taps at it "It means something to him too. That's him waving the white flag."


	9. Chapter 9

**Part 9**

It's been ages since she attended Friday night dinner. Rory can't but think so much has changed since they started this family tradition when she was sixteen.

What hasn't changed is her mother reluctance to press the doorbell. That's exactly how she finds her when she steps up to the door. "Why don't you just ring it?"

"I was thinking 'It's a lovely May evening, I shall wait for Rory to just come and touch the poisonous bell'." Lorelai says taunting. "I bet Logan will rise to the challenge to wake you up with a soaring kiss."

Lorelai looks so amused with herself.

"Wait, where's Logan?"

"Botswana." Rory shrugs. For nearly a month.

Just twelve hours before he kissed her goodbye and flashed her his megawatt smile. _"See you in three and a half weeks."_ It seemed like he couldn't wait to get on that plane on towards adventure.

"With prince Harry?!" He mother half-joke half mock.

"With Collin and Finn." Rory choose to ignore the intentional dig at Logan's expense. The idea of Logan just rubbed Lorelai the wrong way right from the start. Rory was aware she couldn't win this one.

"Where's Luke?"

"Fishing." He mother air quoted giddily.

"Are you gonna ring it or not?"

* * *

Bribing Rory with ice-cream and a movie was always easy. They were planted in her mother's lumpy couch; Tom Cruise was doing actiony scenes. Rory wasn't really watching.

"So, what's up, Kid."

"Huh?" Rory asked distractedly. Her mother looked at her expectantly.

"Grandma seemed really disappointed Logan missed dinner." Lorelai said cautiously.

"That she did." Rory agrees stabbing the RockyRoad with her spoon.

As expected, while Lorelai Gilmore tolerated Logan's presence, her Emily Gilmore indulged in it.

Logan, in turn, took immense pleasure in watching the Emily Glimore showdown. At time she thinks he actually looks forwards to jabbing it in her mother's face.  
That man has a twisted sense of humor.

"So…" Lorelai pulled the closest cushion into her lap. "Logan…You usually have this dreamy look and glow whenever…" her sentence trails off.

Botswana. For nearly month. He did try to make her go with him, throw in a Safari trip. "_May to September is the best season."_ For days he kept throwing random savanna animal facts on in every conversation. His excitement was catching.

She regretted telling him she couldn't go.

She could tell he was disappointed. Finn and Colin jumped at the opportunity.

"He asked me to go with him. I said no."

"Is that what the pro/con list said?"

Rory worried her lip.

"Well that's understandable. You can't just take a leave of absence for three weeks with a moment notice." Lorelai rationalized.

"Yeah.." Rory agreed softly, not entirely convinced anymore.

Lorelai sensed this might be an opening. "You're doing your own thing now. Finally, you're not longer at anyone's beck and call. That job with Mitchum was just poisonous…. I hated seeing you just drift based on that man's whims. It just wasn't you Rory."

"Mom, stop."

"No. Rory, I was wrong not to say anything before…But I really think you should hear what I have say..."

"Mom." Rory takes a deep breath, placing her ice cream on the over-candy-ed TV table. "I know you don't particularly like either of them. But you're so off the mark."

"That's not tr…" Lorelai objected. "I'm just happy you've found '_Rory_' again."

"It is true." Rory says authoritatively, effectively shutting her mother. "I don't know how you're going to do that, but you need to understand that they are _both_ here to stay. "

She stands, being physically close to her mother is crowding.

"God Rory, why do you insist putting yourself in the middle of that feud? Don't you see you're just another way to stick it up to his father?" her mother can't quite hide the edge from her voice.

Rory takes a sharp breath and her eyes widen.

"You know Mom, I think if you got to know Logan better, you'd find that you and him are not that different at all." She says hotly, "Maybe then you'd stop resenting him so much and start thanking him."

Lorelai made a face and huffed in disagreement. "Thank him for what?"

"Do you really think, that if it weren't for Logan, I'd be reading books for a living, in New York?" Rory waves her hand in the approximate direction.

"I think you can do anything you set your mind to."

"Then you're wrong." Rory lay it out for her. "I was lost. Everything I planned, dreamed of was not living up to the expectations."

"You were just starting out… its natural." Lorelai rationalized.

"No. I didn't have _it_. The drive wasn't there..."

"That man has poisoned your mind!" Her mother exclaimed, making Luke appear at the top of the stairs.

"No, mom. Mitchum made me see a 'Rory' I'd could never imagine myself to be. He placed the world at my hands. And I would have taken it, I was this close." Rory hold her thumb and index finger up, a small gap between them.

Lorelai looks like she's fishing for words.

"If it weren't for Logan…" Rory eyes shine with unshed tears, "Logan just sees **_me_**. Even at times when **_I_** don't."

* * *

Her eyes are too dry to cry.

Things weren't looking good for her grandfather. He's still in surgery after collapsing earlier today.  
Her grandmother had a little breakdown the moment both Lorelai-s set their foot in the EU.

Something about breaking the deal of her going out first.

Lorelai quickly jumped in full commend mode. Splitting her attention between tending her mother and charmingly harassing the medical stuff for information.

Rory went through motions of bringing coffee, hunting vending machines, and obsessively popping mint tick-tac's and checking her phone. The second and third Lorelai aren't on speaking terms.

Rory Gilmore is constantly worrying the inked compass on her left hand with her thumb.

She can't help but suspect he sensed it coming.

* * *

"That's Victoria falls." Rory swift pictures after picture on the small screen of her phone.

Her grandfather hunched next to her looking through the phone. Whiskey in hand.

"Very impressive."

"Yes." She agrees and swift for the next pictures, "That's Logan, Colin and Finn and a giraffe in the distance."

Logan has been bomberring her with pictures of the safari trip. Although it pangs her heart, she appreciates the gesture. Like he was making sure she didn't completely miss out on the adventure.

"Um."

"That's Logan looking at the view." Rory smiled fondly at the man in the picture.

"He's a good man, from a good family." Her grandfather voiced his thoughts softly. "He treats you respectably."

_At least someone thinks so._

"Yes, he's pretty great." Rory quickly closed her phone down, running out of pictures. Her right thumb unconsciously finds the compass ink on her left wrist. Charms rattling lightly. Something in his tone tells her this is an overly due heart to heart.

"…and you love him." This observation startles her. No one was saying I love you's.

But she can't help but confess to Richard Gilmore his insightful eyes.

"He directs me to find my version of Lorelai Gilmore." She plays with her compass charm. "He's like my compass."

A warm smile spread across the tall man's features. He recognizes the symbolism. She knows he remembers gifting it to her.

He looks entirely content.

"You once told me, rightfully so, that HPG is always going to have a Huntzberger as Chair, that it will always be a family business…" Her grandfather continues, occupying himself with his cigar.

Rory tries to catch up with the swings in conversation.

"And you are bound, at some point, to become family." Rory goes to protest, but Richard cuts her with a knowing look "A man just knows, Rory."

She sees herself reaching for the scotch bottle. She hates Whiskey, but it's the only alcohol he keeps in his study. She needs something to dull the panic this conversation sets in her.

"I've known Mitchum for a long time, longer than you have." Her father strong voice booms again. "It was no secret he was grooming you before this. So, I am wondering, what is bound to happen when there are two prospective candidates who are…." he lingers "family".

She's not even sure why they are talking about this ridiculous hypothetical situation.

There are already two prospective candidates who are family now. Honor was convinced it would be Logan anyway.

She takes a big gulp of the hard drink "That's ridiculous grandpa. I don't work for HPG anymore."

"Neither does Logan." Her father points out puffing on his cigar, "nor does he want to."

Rory looks her grandfather almost helplessly and shrugs.

Everyone around her kept implying Logan's inevitable return to HPG.

_Everyone except Mitchum. _

"Yet, it's what expected of him. Unless…" Richard Glimore allows the sentence to dissolve but looks at her meaningfully.

"You.. You think," Rory half stutter, "that if I, hypothetically, marry Logan. Mitchum might possibly ask me head to HPG."

"That's a possibility I wouldn't put past him." Richard says slowly. "I want you to promise me that if it comes to it…. You'd only do it if it makes you happy."

* * *

Her grandma seemed to completely calm down and her mother's face lost their tension.

Both women just looking exhausted.

Rory looks at her mother's bloodshot eyes. The older Lorelai was hogging the thermos Luke brought in.

They exchange any conversation besides "thank you" and "I'm going to the washroom." Her mother is still sore about Rory's candid heart confessions three weeks ago.

Her grandma is snacking on Lemon flavored Lay's potato chips.

"Good, right?" Lorelai taunts her.

"Incomprehensible taste." Her grandma offers.

Then, after hours on end, the female doctor came out. She doesn't have to say anything. Rory just knows.

Her mother chokes a sob.

Her grandmother cries.

Her grandfather dead.

Rory Gilmore does the only thing her head has been programmed to do when things go terribly wrong.

She calls Mitchum Huntzberger.


	10. Chapter 10

It's a warp!

It feels to me like this is a fitting ending. I'm both excited and sad to see these characters complete their journey. I really love these characters. I hope you did too.

This story first chapter started as a backstory for another idea I am/was working on. As I was writing, I found myself wondering why can't this be a story line of its own? From there the pieces fell into the right places.  
Feel free to leave your comments if you feel like, they are always welcome.

* * *

**Part 10**

Rory holds her left hand wrist tightly, constantly rubbing the inked compass with her thumb. She's not even aware she's doing it until Mitchum Hunzberger push a glass of water into her hand.

"Drink." She obeys.

"Good girl." He squeezes her shoulder and smiles at her apologetically, "Logan's on his way. He refused the jet out of principle. I'm going to referee between your grandmother and Shira."

Rory looked around the mansion, everything was set for the reception after the ceremony.

Shira Huntzberger has done a good job arranging an Emily Gilmore certificated event. She has done a better job than Lorelai or Rory herself could ever do.

But of course the Gilmore matriarch, who locked herself in the bedroom for the past two days, was less than impressed.

Her mother hid in her bedroom too. Luke said they'll meet them there.

In her heart, she cursed Logan's principles. Rory Gilmore promised herself she shall not cry.  
Her eyes are dry anyways. She didn't sleep a wink.

Honor put eye-drops in her blue eyes to make them looks presentable.

"You have such stunning eyes." The blonde woman squeezes her hands and offers her fashionable sunglasses.

Rory refuse. She will not shy away from this.

She nods at Christopher Hayden arriving with the flock of men and women. She wanted nothing to do with him today.

In the corner of her eye, she spies Mitchum's subtle beeline to him.

She thanks her lucky stars for that man. Or maybe she should thank her grandfather.

She sniffs. Rory Gilmore is determined not cry.

She gives her eulogy. Her own voice sounds foreign.

Her mother's eyes are a well of constant tears.

Her grandmother is practicing perfect society widow stance, face shell-shocked.

Instead of her grandfather's blue eyes she looks into Logan's warm brown eyes.

From the moment Logan sets his feet in Connecticut he's her shadow. His presence always a step or two behind her. His hand lingers at the small of her back or her shoulder.

This day is such a blur. She can only focus on his stubble, his respectable suit. She doesn't know how he managed to retrieve one so soon after landing. Probably Honor.

"I need a minute alone."

Everyone pretty much cleared out, following the next order of business. Logan who still stand behind her near the fresh grave nods. He squeezes her shoulder offering his comfort and slowly steps away.

* * *

Father and son stand side by side both worriedly looking at the lone woman dressed in all back.

Mitchum takes a stride towards her, but a firm hold on his arms stops him.

"Not yet." The younger man he fathered says firmly. "**_I'll_** go, but not yet."

"She keeps scratching her wrist."

"I've noticed." Logan confirms.

"She's not speaking to her mother." Michum sounds beyond concerned.

Logan nods. "I take comfort in knowing the woman hates you more than she hates me."

"She didn't cry." His father stresses.

"Sometimes it just takes time." Logan says softly to his estranged father. "You should go to the Gilmore's. I've got it from here."

Mitchum looks reluctant, but Logan looks determined.

"I'll see you at the house." The older man finally caves and they both step in opposite direction.

Mitchum Huntzberger watch from a distance as his son's hand gently pry Rory Gilmore's left wrist free.  
Next, she collapse sobbing into his arms.

* * *

Logan finds Mitchum Huntzberger washing the dishes in Emily Gilmore kitchen.

His dress shirt rolled up to his elbows. The maids just stand there astonished. For a moment, so does Logan.

"Dad."

The older man turns, his hands wet with soap water. "How's she?"

The reception is dying out in the other rooms. He is surprised to find his mother bossing the catering.

"Resting." Logan offers him a towel. "They have staff to do this."

"Rory says keeping busy is the best way to make time pass." Mitchum brush his dry hands on his suit pants, "How was Botswana?"

Logan nods.

"I met with an Israeli expert there. They can use infra-red satellite imagine to know if the fields are in water stress. This is really the coolest things I've seen."

He doesn't know what compelled him to share this with his father. Maybe because it's something Rory would want him to do.

"I don't know much about that." His father response is even more surprising. "I'll look into it."

Logan tucks his hands into his pockets.

"I… Thank you for looking out for her."

"Rory and I have an understanding." Mitchum states simply.

There's so much Logan still has to process about his father's relationship with Rory Gilmore.

"Dad…" Logan runs his hand through his hair, contemplating his next words. Their eyes meet for s brief second. "I really need to you take a step back so I can make her _my Rory_."

"You don't need** _me_** to take a step back to in order to make her '_your Rory'_. You need to make **_yourself_** take a step forward."

His father words somehow sound like advice and a metaphor at the same time.

"She made her mind up a long time ago."

Their tremulous relationship, past words, expectations and love for that woman hangs between them.

"I'm not giving Planète up." Logan masters his best determined expression.

"Understandably." Mitchum says easily, "When you're ready, Logan."

Logan looks at Mitchum suspiciously. They're both aware of the significance of this conversation.

"I don't think I'll ever be ready."

"I can accept that as well." Mitchum looks at his son sincerely.

Logan feels the rest of the air in his lungs sucked away. The words streaming out of his mouth is on one hand all he ever wanted to hear, on the other he can't bring himself to trust him.

_Maybe it's a baby steps kind of thing._

"I…. I.. thanks for the book."

Micthum nods, "You're welcome."

* * *

"Chache!" small hands thumped excitedly on the large glass window. "Chache!"

Rory balanced the wiggling boy in her arms, laughing at his excitement. The two men in the meeting room looked up.

'Chache'. The nickname sprung when Alex blabbering started to make sense. Shira was really trying too hard to teach him Michum's name.

Mitchum first frowned upon the unflattering meaning, although god knows Logan called him worst names.

Logan, on the other hand, thought it was hilarious._ "I'm gonna make sure that one sticks."_

Lorelai followed his lead with unconstrained glee.

In the end Mitchum mellowed. The nickname stayed.

* * *

Rory Gilmore watch the tension on younger man's face vanish at the sight of his carbon copy barging into the room. They are thick as thieves.

Logan was still reluctant to engage on the day to day activity in HPG, but she was surprise to learn one day he wasn't shy to dip his feet in envisioning the future. Making strategy meetings, like this one, a reoccurring event.

The older man's face beamed as the blonde ball of energy threw himself at his legs demanding to be picked up. His little hands enthusiastically looking inside his jacket's inner pocket for candy.

"Toffee!" Alex exclaims excitedly.

"Seriously dad, you're gonna ruin his teeth." she hears Logan scowl at Mitchum.

* * *

_"He's testing my limits that husband of yours." Mitchum relayed to her "But heck, he's talented."_

_To this day, Logan is partially skeptic and partially bothered with 'the understanding' she has with his father. "What does that even mean?"_

_"It's means we conspire behind your back." She taunts him, "It's none of your business, Logan."_

_She knows it ruffles his feathers._

* * *

Alex, a third generation of nearly identical Huntzberger males, adores his paternal grandfather.

Its another thing Logan can't quite warp his head around.

"Sometimes I think he likes him better than he likes me." he scowls, carefully eyeing the three years old boy shadowing phone-pacing Mitchum in the patio imitating his movements.

A calculator pressed to his ear. The comics section tacked under his arm.

Rory looks at him amused, "You pace the same way when you talk on the phone."

Logan shoots her a dirty look. His competitiveness shining.

"Funny, Shadow. I'm making sure the next one likes me better."

Rory rolls her eyes at him.

* * *

She finds Logan sitting against the wall outside Alex's bedroom.

Half guarding, half spying. His legs pulled up, head resting back, eyes closed.

Rory Gilmore peeks at the suited man who sits at the edge of her son's bed. Animatedly reading '**_Where the Wild Things Are_**':

_"__Oh, please don't go—we'll eat you up—we love you so!"_

He really is great as Wild Things.

_"__That's Mitchum Hunztberger, knowing that man can change your life." Her late-grandfather voice reminisces in her head._

She looks at Logan who smiles faintly. His eyes glossed.

Looking back, it never seizes to amaze her how insightful Richard Gilmore was.

She prides herself for changing his too.


End file.
